Worship & Prayers for The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Opening Rite

If you’re at home you might wish to light a candle, make sure you are sitting comfortably and take a few deep breaths to still yourself. 

The Lord is here His spirit is with us

Prayers of Penitence

When we cry out to the Lord in our trouble, he will deliver us from our distress.

God will bring us out of darkness and out of the shadow of death.

Lord Jesus Christ, we confess we have failed you as did your first disciples. We ask for your mercy and your help.

Our selfishness betrays you: Lord, forgive us. Christ have mercy.

We fail to share the pain of your suffering: Lord, forgive us. Christ have mercy.

We run away from those who abuse you: Lord, forgive us. Christ have mercy.

We are afraid of being known to belong to you: Lord, forgive us. Christ have mercy.

May the Father forgive us by the death of his Son and strengthen us to live in the power of the Spirit all our days. Amen.

Let us give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, and the wonders he does for his children.

Let us offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.                              cf Psalm 107

The Collect  

You might like to keep a few moments of silence.

Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you: pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself, and so bring us at last to your heavenly city where we shall see you face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Ezekiel 18.1-4,25-end

The word of the Lord came to me: What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.  Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is unfair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is unfair.’ O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.

Psalm 25.1-8

/R: Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies triumph over me. Let none who look to you be put to shame, but let the treacherous be shamed and frustrated. /R:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you have I hoped all the day long. /R:

Remember, Lord, your compassion and love, for they are from everlasting. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions, but think on me in your goodness, O Lord, according to your steadfast love. /R:

Gracious and upright is the Lord; therefore shall he teach sinners in the way. He will guide the humble in doing right and teach his way to the lowly. /R:

Philippians 2.1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

The Gospel According to Matthew      chapter 21.23-32

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin”, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  ‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

This is the gospel of the Lord  Praise to you O Christ

Reflection

Jesus rode into Jerusalem and drove the traders from the Temple. After a night in Bethany, he returned to teach there, in God’s dwelling place, to which the people had been led on their pilgrimage from Egypt. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the inner sanctuary to offer the sacrifice for sinful humanity, and then ‘he came out of the house of the curtain… to pronounce the blessing of the Lord’ (Sirach 50:5,20). David banished the blind and lame from this meeting place of earth and heaven (2 Samuel 5:8), but Jesus welcomed them into this ‘house of prayer’ and healed them. And there the children cried out, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, to the annoyance of the authorities (vv.14-16). The religious elite cannot say whether John’s baptism came from heaven or from earth; they are afraid of their people, who recognised Jesus as a prophet; and they ignore God’s call for righteousness. It is Jesus who mediates heaven and earth, doing the will of his Father and bringing blessing to those in need.

 Reproduced with permission www.rootsontheweb.com 2002-2021  

Prayers

Spend a few moments praying for the people you know and love, for the world, for peace and for the relief of refugees everywhere

On the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Gracious God, you call us to fullness of life: deliver us from unbelief and banish our anxieties with the liberating love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Praying for the Earth                              Organic farming

We thank you for the gifts of the land, and pray your blessing upon the farmers who make those gifts available to us. We give thanks for those who respect the earth and seek to maintain its natural balance. We pray for a healthy market for those who produce organic food. Amen

From the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer for the Church

Porvoo Communion: Diocese of Swansea and Brecon (Church in Wales) and Diocese of Leicester

Anglican Communion:  The Church of Bangladesh Moderator: The Most Reverend Samuel Sunil Mankhin 

Diocese of Møre: Deanery of Outer Nordmøre: Parishes of Frei and Kvernes

Tynemouth Deanery: Willington Team Vicar: Julie Mooney, Associate Priests: Emily Watson and Kim Wears  Readers: Patricia Bragg and  Stephen McCormack (PTO)

From our Parish Prayer Cycle this week 

Pray for all residents of Fairburn Avenue, Fairview Green, Fairhill Close and Penfold Close

For the sick and those being cared for in hospital or at home      

For those in residential care   

For those whose year’s minds are this coming week

Ian Gibson, Raymond Heron (priest), Claude Henderson, Norah Tempest, George Tempest, Arthur Turner, George Roberts 

You might like to end your prayers with The Lord's Prayer  

Our Father,  who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Conclusion

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Let us bless the Lord! Thanks be to God!

We are grateful for donations to support the cost of flowers in memory of Ian Gibson and Doris & Jim Clavering’s wedding anniversary